Stripping off the last layer of clothes, Angela stood before her bedroom mirror. Her wet shoulder length hair was finally tame, and she pinned it back out of the way. Outside her window the rain clouds were finally parting, right after she had gotten home. Sighing, she put on a set of dry underwear, jeans, and a sweater. The fluffy warmth was welcome against her clammy skin.
However she did not have time to savor the feeling, before alarmed strains of curses carried through the house. She knew the voice well enough. It was that of her roommate, Donnie. But never had she heard his voice harsh or angry like this. Angela ran out of her room, and was met on the basement stairs by Don. Clutching a wet, and increasingly red, rag around his wrist, he nearly knocked her down.
"Oh my god, what happened!" She jogged with him back up the stairs. Blood beginning to trail down his arm, Don simply gave a guttural grunt.
"Slipped on the band saw." He rushed to the bathroom and was pushed onto the seat of the toilet by Angela's firm hands. "I think it's a centimeter or two deep." The rag becoming uselessly soaked, his breathing quickly became slow. Angela crawled onto the sink counter, first aid kit in hand. His chest languidly rose and fell as he watched his wrist drip onto the tiled floor. She grabbed his elbow and raised his arm over his head when he stopped listening to her. The rag fell off and she panicked as the liquid began running heavily through the valleys of his arm.
Gauze squares were pressed over it as she applied the butterfly bandages, sealing the cut closed. Don began to slip down in the seat, his eyes drooping.
"Don," She finished suturing the cut, and started taping bandages over it. "Don!" He finally closed his eyes, letting out a slow stream of breath. "Donnie!" She gave him the back of her hand, and he seemed dazed. "Try and stay awake." He nodded absently and she wrapped an elastic band around his wrist, tucking the end into the folds. A damp washcloth was used to wipe the blood-streaked mess down his arm. He began to slip again, and she crawled off the sink, helping him to his feet.
"Ngggh." Leaning heavily with his arm around Angela's shoulders, Don let himself be lead out into the hall. He weighed a ton, and she wobbled herself. Not to be discouraged, she hulked forward, nearly carrying Don's two hundred fifty pound body.
After a few laborious minutes, they made it into nearby bedroom. Don dropped onto the bed with a pained, turning into a relieved groan. He sunk into the mattress and closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep immediately. An afghan was pulled over his now pale body.
A coiled tension unwound itself as Angela saw him resting peacefully. The nervousness she hadn't noticed surprised her because of its dispersion. Sighing in relief, Angela leaned over the bed and kissed him. On the mouth.
While it only lasted a moment, she drew back in alarm. Right before his face, she watched his bleary eyes look up at her. Bottom lip quivering, she began running through a thousand things to say, while trying to imagine why she possibly had done that. Saying sorry came to mind.
"I-uh…" She stumbled as a contented smile came over his sleepy face. A warm feeling over her fingers resting on his chest told her his hand was over hers. Pursing her lips, she smiled uncertainly.
So that was the slam bang beginning of our relationship. I can still remember those early anxious flutterings, like a bird in my ribcage. Whenever I came in to bring him food he would sheepishly ask for another kiss. Although I suspect he was more confident than that. Just trying to tease me. He was better in a few days, and back to the lab where he left off.
Already being smitten with him, starting a romantic relationship with Donnie was very natural. He was sweet, gentle, funny, and even playful. And he treated me like a goddess.
Not that everything was always so keen between us. We fought like all couples, and all roommates. And we made up like them too.
Dropping her purse on the table, Angela stopped before an imposing looking turtle in the living room. Don was only a few inches taller than her, but with his jaw tight and arms crossed, he had a looming presence. There was a half full black garbage bag in one hand, and he was very displeased about it.
"Welcome home." He said with a sarcastic bite, letting the bag fall onto the floor.
"Thank you?" She doubted he knew what a threatening figure he could have, with all his muscles taught. "What's wrong?"
"Wrong?" Still sarcastic. "What could possibly be wrong. This place is a gigantic mess." He turned sideways to reveal the tornado zone of the living room. House cleaning had been a bit of an issue lately, and she wasn't that good of cleaning up after herself. "Just because I'm at home doesn't mean I'm going to play housemaid."
"Oh, I don't see how you could if you wanted to." She pulled off her jacket and laid it over the dining chair. "Your lab would get too jealous."
"What is that supposed to mean."
"It means that if you were to actually clean up, you'd have to do it in the half an hour window you have between two thirty and three in the morning when you aren't otherwise 'involved' with the basement. That's what it means."
"I
have work I do there." He fumed. "What's your
excuse for being a slob?"
"I'm
human, that's my excuse." She was nearly shouting. "More
than I can say for you."
"Oh, so that's what this is about now? I'm a mutant, so I have to stay home and be your servant boy!" He stalked across the floor, swiftly closing the distance between them. For a moment she thought he might be coming to hit her, but he passed her by. "Well, I'm goin' on break now, Ma'ssah." He grabbed his coat and hat off the wall and flung the door open. "And I don't know if I'll be back."
"I hope you get hit by a truck!" The house seemed to shake when he slammed the door behind him. "ASS!" She called. Taking her words out of context, she ran back to the door and gave it a kick as if it were him. "Go fuck yourself!"
A/N.: I know it's a subtle story, and there's no hack and slashing, but I appreciate reviews much so. Please send some love. For only one review a chapter, the time it takes to heat up a chicken patty, you can keep a fanfic author like Sasami here off the streets. Please review, for the fanfic authors.
